SpaceX announced Sept. 17 that a Japanese billionaire will be paying an undisclosed but significant sum to buy a flight of the company’s next-generation rocket for a flight around the moon carrying a group of artists.

Whether it’s space or defense technology, successful innovation doesn’t come easy, even for SpaceX. CEO Elon Musk revealed that the company almost terminated the Falcon Heavy program three times after it started in 2011.

The images that attracted the most interest from the Falcon Heavy launch, though, had nothing to do with the rocket itself. For several hours after liftoff, SpaceX provided a live feed from cameras mounted on the upper stage, showing its attached payload: a Tesla Roadster sports car with a spacesuited mannequin, dubbed “Starman,” sitting in the driver’s seat.

SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk disclosed additional technical details about his proposed BFR launch system Oct. 14, although he offered no additional information about the costs and financing of the vehicle.